Where My Life Begins
by Alice Forshadow
Summary: Tangled AU. Shuri has never been outside her tower and desperately wants to see the floating lights released on her birthday every year. When Peter, a young member of a group of thieves, breaks into her tower looking to hide, she sees her chance to finally go outside and achive her dream, leading Peter and his band of robbers into an unexpected adventure.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

This story is the story on how Peter died.

A long time ago, back when kingdoms were ruled by kings and queens, a single drop of sun fell from the earth and blossomed into a single flower. This was no ordinary flower. It had extraordinary abilities.

And a young man found this flower could give him amazing powers. His name was Erik- a relative to a king and queen who envied the fact he never go to rule. And so he used this flower to give him powers that would make him invincible.

Elsewhere in the kingdom lead by king T'Chaka, his queen, Ramonda, fell ill. None of the doctors knew how to cure her. That was until T'Challa, while playing in the woods, found a young man singing to a flower and receiving powers as a result. Once the man left, 'T'Challa took the flower and ran to the castle, telling his father all about what he had seen. Although medics shrugged the idea off as a simple child's story, they were willing to try anything. Sure enough the flower healed the queen.

More joy was found after the queen's healing- she was pregnant and later gave birth to a little girl.

Yep. That's Shuri.

To celebrate their good fortune, the king, queen, and T'Challa lit a floating lantern and let it in the air.

The luck, however, was soon to run out. Envious and angry, Erik broke into the palace. At first, he only hoped to get a small lock of Shuri's hair in hopes it would have the same powers as the flower had. It did- but when he cut the lock of hair, he felt the magic fade out from it- and from him.

By the time guards arrived, Erik and Shuri vanished.

In a hidden area of the woods, Erik took Shuri and hid her in a tall tower, raising her as his own, and forbidding her to leave, telling her how terrifying the world was. Shuri obeyed her "older brother" and did what she was told.

The kingdom searched far and wide- but they could not find the missing princess. The royal family was heartbroken- all while the young T'Challa took the blame for his sister's disappearance and vowed to find and bring her home.

Every night on her birthday, T'Challa led the kingdom into lighting floating lanterns- in hopes that the princess would see them and come home


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Fifteen years later in a small town, a group of thieves jumped across the rooftops as they made their way past the crowd. In their group were three men, a woman, and a young teenage boy of fifteen. The group stopped right on top of the castle's glass ceiling where the jewelry was displayed- more partially, the crown of the lost princess.

"Alright, Vision, Rhodes." instructed Tony, the leader of the group. "You two are on lookout. Wanda, you have the rope?"

Wanda nodded, reached into her bag, and pulled out a rope.

"Alright Spider. You're up." Tony replied, indicating to Peter.

Peter nodded, took hold of the rope, and was lowered by Tony and Wanda right above the crown.

"Allergies, am I right?" asked Tony from above.

"Yeah." replied the guard.

He looked over just in time to see Peter's foot disappear and the crown missing.

Peter stuck the crown into Wanda's bag as the group took off running over the rooftops and through the woods.

"You imagining our own castle?" asked Wanda to the others. "Because this is where we're heading after today!"

Tony laughed and looked at the others, to see Peter a few feet behind, looking at a sheet of paper.

Peter showed Tony the wanted poster of him- with a badly drawn nose.

"They can't get my nose right." replied Peter.

Tony sighed.

"Not this again Peter." he responded.

"C'mon, you guys look great!" exclaimed Peter, indicating to the other wanted posters of all of them.

"Oh for the love of it Peter-" sighed Rhodey, grabbing his arm as the group continued running.

* * *

Elsewhere, Shuri was starting her day with a game of hide and seek.

Shuri had grown into a happy, fifteen year old girl. She was a

Her brother had left last night and wasn't going to be back until later that day- like always.

"Aha!" she exclaimed when she noticed her lizard hiding on the ledge. "Found you again Panther! Want to do another round? 46 out of 90?"

The lizard gave her a look.

"Well, what idea do you have?" asked Shuri.

The lizard's face lit up as it used its tail to point out the window to the outside world.

Shuri paused.

"Well, I'll ask Erik when he gets back." replied Shuri. "For now, I think I'll stay in here."

Panther gave her another dirty look and a thumbs down.

"Come on." replied Shuri. "It's not so bad in there."

* * *

Every morning was the same. Seven am was when Shuri did her chores. She had a lot to do, but she was so used to it now she was usually done in less than an hour.

Then she had the rest of the tower to herself.

She did some small activities- puzzles, darts, some craft projects, played a few rounds of chess against, even practiced some ballet, and combed her hair.

Shuri thought about reading- there were only three books to read, however, and Shuri had memorized them all by now. Sometimes she painted- though she didn't have any paper and the walls of the tower were fully painted with all the murals she made over the years and required no touch ups.

So Shuri decided to work on some of her other inventions. She had made technological inventions over the years to help her and Erik with the chores. She kept a notebook of the ideas she had done and had yet to create.

She looked through the pages to see something she could work on when Panther put his webbed hand on a page.

It was a page she had drawn on one day. It was a picture of her, her long flowing hair behind her, as she sat on a hill, watching all the floating lanterns fly towards the sky.

Tomorrow was Shuri's sixteenth birthday. And every night on her birthday, once her older brother was asleep, she would look out the window and see the lanterns fly up to the sky. She tried to ask Erik to go- but he refused.

Shuri sighed.

"Maybe now that I'm older, he might just let me go."

* * *

"They did what?"

T'Challa, now an older man, stormed into the jewelry room. Sure enough, the pillow where the crown was on display was empty.

"We... we tried our best." replied Steve Rogers, the captain of the guard.

"You should have tried harder!" shouted T'Challa. "You clearly were not if you allowed it to get stolen so easily! I want all your men after those thieves! Bring them in by whatever means necessary and return the crown."

Steve nodded and hurried out of the room to get the soldiers ready.

Nakia, T'Challa's wife, walked in the room as T'Challa looked at the empty pillow.

"It's just one more part of her I couldn't protect." replied T'Challa.

"You couldn't have done anything." replied Nakia.

T'Challa looked at the pillow.

"No." he replied. "It's my fault she's missing."

He walked out of the room.

"It's my job to get her back."

* * *

Shuri looked at her picture longingly when suddenly she heard calling from the foot of the tower outside.

"Shuri! Shuri!"

She knew from the sound of the voice it was her brother.

"Coming Erik!" Shuri called, hurrying over to the open window.

Shuri looked out the window to see her brother, wearing a yellow and black cloak, holding a basket.

"About time." he told her. "I'm not getting any younger down here."

Shuri sighed, gave a hidden eyeroll, and tossed her long hair over the edge of the window, hitting the ground outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Once Erik had climbed up Shuri's hair, Shuri went to hug him.

"I haven't seen you for three-" Shuri began eagerly.

"Yes, I know." replied Erik, handing her his backpack and walking into the living room area.

Panther gave a look at Shuri and nodded, knowing Shuri had another plan for her brother's arrival.

"Now that you're home, there's something I want to ask you-" Shuri began quickly as Erik looked to himself in the mirror.

"When I look into this mirror, I see a young, wonderful, intelligent person with a bright future ahead of them." replied Erik, looking at him and Shuri's reflection. "Oh, look! You're here too!"

Erik gave a laugh, then looked at Shuri's stunned look.

"I'm just teasing Shuri. Take a joke." replied Erik.

"Anyways, I have a very quick question to ask-" Shuri began.

"Later Shuri." replied Erik. "There's much to-"

"I did all the chores." asked Shuri, handing part of her hair to Erik before rapidly singing the song needed to give Erik the powers back.

"Shuri!" Erik shouted, trying not to lose his patience. "What's with this?"

"Well, Erik..." replied Shuri. "You know that my birthday's in two days..."

"It can't be." Erik replied. "I distinctly remember your birthday was last year."

"That's the thing with birthdays, they happen once a year every year" replied Shuri. "And I'll be sixteen this year."

"And your point is?" Erik asked.

"For my birthday... the one gift I receive… can I...go outside?" asked Shuri nervously.

Erik looked at her stunned. And then, he smiled.

"You want to go outside?" asked Erik. "My dear sister... what about all the terrors of the world? Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, thieves, plagues, large bugs, men with pointy teeth- it's too upsetting for me to think about you alone in such a dangerous world."

"Yeah, but I can handle-" replied Shuri.

"No, no." replied Erik. "It's alright. Go on, get trampled by a rhinoceros, get left for dead, leave me hear all alone- the person who dedicated the best years of his life to raising you after our parents died, leave me here to die-"

Shuri was used to Erik guilting her by now, so she wasn't effected by it this easily now. She felt a little guilty though. He really felt like he meant it this time.

"And in what kind of state you would leave in!" replied Erik. "Immature, clumsy, gullible, grubby, naïve- you wouldn't last a second. That's why it's best you stay here with me. I know best."

Shuri gave Erik a hug, not out of love, but mostly out of guilt.

"Shuri?" asked Erik.

"Yes?" asked Shuri.

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower." Erik responded in a dark, serious tone. "Ever."

* * *

The thieves were casually walking through the woods.

"What are we going to do with it?" asked Peter.

"Sell it." replied Wanda. "Out there, someone's rich enough to buy it."

"Or we could just charm our way into it." replied Tony.

"Since when has that ever worked?" asked Rhodey.

"Worked once with a redhead in-" began Tony when they heard the galloping of horses coming up on a hill.

"Gentlemen, please." replied Tony. "Can't this be explained more-"

And then Tony realized that the prince was leading the solders.

Tony paled, and looked at the nervous thieves.

"RUN!" shouted Tony.

The group had no problem until they came to a small area where a hill had sharply risen. Peter climbed up it first, then reached his hand to Wanda.

"Come on! I'll pull you up!" he told her.

Instead, Wanda tossed him her satchel containing the crown.

Slightly confused, Peter put it over his shoulder, then reached his hand out to Wanda again before an arrow hit right before his feet.

"Run Spider!" shouted Tony.

Peter took off running, while Tony, Wanda, Vision, and Rhodey took off running in different directions below just before the guards arrived.

* * *

The four made it to a cave just as the guards ran past them.

"That was close." replied Wanda.

"Wait." replied Tony, looking around. "Where's Peter?"

"Wanda?" asked Rhodey. "Didn't you give him the-"

The four looked to each other.

"Oh no."

* * *

Peter ran through the cave, not even stopping once to look back until he made it to the other side into the light, far enough away from the soldiers. He checked the satchel.

It was there. The crown was still there. He didn't screw up. He needed a place to hide though.

That was when he realized the cave was not a cave. It was a long tunnel. Leading to-

a tall tower.

He rushed over to it. The sides were smooth, and pretty hard rock. Pretty hard for anyone to climb.

Yet not too hard for the amazing spider.

Peter grabbed the daggers from his belt and began to climb up the tower.


End file.
